Danganronpa First Class: Lessons of Despair
by A-SHSL-Revival-All-In-My-Head
Summary: Instead of being killed on the spot, a batch of Hope's Peak Academy staff is tossed into a fight for survival against their own. "Silly teacher, haven't you heard? It simply cannot be taught, as an instructor, you of all people should know that everyone has rising potential. But, what goes up, must come crashing down into the depths of despair!"
1. Chapter Zero: Prologue

**Chapter Zero** **:** Prologue

"Sakimoto-senpai?"

Emerald eyes briefly flicker over his left shoulder to scan the hallway's barren surroundings. The nonexistence sound of rushing footsteps and aggravating shouts create a slight wave of relief for the owner as he pushes himself off the white door frame. His heavy breathing gradually returns to normal pacing as the teacher notices nineteen pairs of concerned eyes gazing upon him. After taking one final look of the empty space behind him, the man quickly steps inside the classroom and instantly shuts the door. The apprehensive actions and lack of response from the adult sparks the questioning from a girl with matching eyes, "Hey, is everything alright?"

A swift movement towards the windows on the left side of the room is shown by the well-dressed man as he peers through the translucent glass in disbelief. He mutters under his breath, " _Dear god."_

"Holy fucking shit, it's a damn war zone out there!", usually Sakimoto would scold the student for his usual vulgar outbursts but he thinks to himself, why would he punish someone for having the exact same thoughts as him?

More of his students join the teacher near the window out of curiosity. He slightly turns his head to catch the reactions of the kids witnessing the gruesome scene unfold within the academy's school yard. It was not a surprise to the educator to see certain students performing the habit of biting their quavering bottom lip in nervousness, running a stressed hand through their wavy locks, or even subconsciously undoing a tight bun in order to re-do it out of deep thought. He subtly rolls his eyes upon spotting a student completely ignoring the events occurring beneath them and instead simply seizes the time to check on her appearance from the sheer glass reflection of themselves.

"Everyone listen to me carefully, we need to leave the school immediately and get you on the plane. Now."

 _The scene fades into the sight of two people quietly taking cover behind a set of wooden crates nearing the outskirts of an aircraft hanger. Spotting the duo's skin is the growing discoloration of red and purple hues as they plan their next course of action. A grimace immediately appears on the younger girl's lips._

"Like hell I am! You know damn well why I can't leave you behind!"

Sakimoto places both hands on the younger girl's shoulders, sincerely looking into her eyes with reassurance and a gentle smile, "Listen to me, I need you to board that plane and help protect your classmates for now on. I know you can do it."

"But-"

"Akira, that's an order."

The girl briefly shut her eyes tight for a moment before sighing in resignation and then proceeds to reach down to her duty belt carrying various equipment around the waist. She unsheathes a black, standardized Glock Twenty-Two and was about to hand it over to the educator who only hesitantly stares back at her, "Relax, it's only loaded with rubber bullets, as if Headmaster Kirigiri would let me walk around campus carrying actual bullets. These are non-lethal but still hurts like hell when fired from a distance, it should provide enough time and cover for the both of us."

She places the weapon onto the palm of his right hand and clasps the left one over it, "There's ten rounds left, but as soon as you fire the last one you better get your ass to the plane, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. Now get ready to move once I start firing", the teacher instructs which only earns a hard nod from its recipient.

 _The scene shifts to the sight of the young instructor lying on the concrete surface, his body remains partially still with the exception of heavy pounding coming from a heartbeat._

The heightening pulse radiating through the body, resonates within their ears.

This notion of natural tranquility with one's own bodily functions quickly becomes disrupted at the sound of an electronic beeping registering an activation notification from his right wrist.

" _Player one has joined the game."_

* * *

 **Hey guys! Long time no write? Yeah, who knew three months would fly by when you're dealing with stress from senior year and your personal life? But anyway, as a quick life update, I'm all better and pretty excited to graduate in June and for prom coming up next month, so fun times are ahead! Especially since ya girl is officially back to kickoff the spin off of First Class Despair Series!**

 **So as a refresher for the FCD timeline: This story is a sequel to the prologues in FCD but is a prequel to the actual events of FCD. Why am I tossing out this random fact, you may ask?**

 **Well, simply because...the cast of this story will also make appearances in the interludes of FCD! So, not only will the cast play their parts in this story, but they also appear in FCD playing the parts that shall remain classified! I hope you guys enjoyed this quick little intro and if interested in sending an OC, be sure to check out the rules and application! ~ Kay**

 **P.S: For my FCD folks, I'm working on the next update and should have it done before this deadline!**

* * *

 **Hello! Bet you weren't expecting a second authors note were you? Anyways, this is Annika aka CandiedStars. Some of you may recognize my username from some SYOC's but if you're reading this story chances are you'll know me better as Setsuka Aihara's creator, everyone's fave SHSL Figure Skater in FCD. I'm really glad to say I'll be helping write this story with Kay, kinda like a collab or whatever else you want to call it.**

 **I'm really looking forward to see what OC's are submitted, and I definitely recommend making one because it'll be worth your time! Make sure to check out the rules and application if you're interested. That's it from me, so, until next time!**

* * *

 **Rules:**

1.) As always, no Mary Sues or Gary Sues! AKA: There's no such thing as a perfect character with no flaws whatsoever! I mean, realistically nobody is flawless so let's reflect that on our characters okay? If you do send one in, I can guarantee you they have a really low chance in getting accepted...Plus, the more diverse the cast is personality-wise the better!

2.) I prefer if you send applications via PM! I'm more likely to choose people who send through PM because if you review your character's backstory and secrets publicly on reviews, it kinda spoils their arc for everyone doesn't it? So, how about we keep it between us?

3.) As for nationality, I'm letting you guys have the freedom of your character coming from any country! I'll list the nationalities I get because it'll be really nice to have such a diverse cast ranging from let's say America or Cambodia etc instead of having everyone from Japan y'know?

4.) As for former SHSL Talents, **only main course and elementary division staff are allowed to have a former SHSL talent!** Any talent is up for grabs since it's possible to recycle the talent after that ultimate graduates and pass it onto a later student (Ex: Both Kyosuke Munakata and Soshun Murasame holding the title as SHSL Student Council President). The only restriction on talents is that my OC's talent is taken and no SHSL Despair/Hope or ?. Also, one talent per character and below is the post with the submitted talents so we don't accidentally run into multiple OCs with the same talent!

5.) Since the Monokuma Hunter game is fast paced with no FTEs and happens over a day, **you may submit up to two characters with a relationship prior to the game!** And by relationship, it doesn't have to be romantic (Ex: Family members, best friends, archnemesis, etc). Of course, submitting two characters with an established relationship is completely optional, there's also the option of submitting two stand alone OCs, and just submitting one character too.

6.) Finally, this will not be a first come first serve kind of thing since I really want you guys to spend time on your OCs. Basically, if my helper and I can tell you made your OC in 5 minutes or less, yeah no you're most likely not getting accepted. **T** **he deadline for when applications close is five weeks which specifically is May 13th.** I will post the **official HPA Staff roster on May 14th** along with the introduction teasers of the cast.

* * *

 _ **~Danganronpa First Class: Lessons of Despair Submission Form~**_

 _* = Optional_

 **^ = Required but skippable if it doesn't apply**

 **~ General ~**

 **Name:** (Western order with first name, last name)

 _* Nickname(s):_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation:** (Ex: Homeroom Teacher of the *Insert number* Class, Talent Scout, Nurse, Janitor, *Insert subject* Teacher, Librarian, Security Guard, etc…)

 **Work Location:** (Answer with either Main Course (Any member of the Steering Committee or HPA scientist would fall into the Main Course category as well), Reserve Course Department, or Hope's Peak Elementary Division)

 **^ Former SHSL Talent (This applies to ONLY Main Course/Elementary Division Staff):**

 **Age:** (Age range is 21-65)

 **Birthday:** (Month and Day)

 **Gender:** (Female, male, intersex, non binary, etc basically anything can go! If the character has a preferred pronoun, please tell me! Also, I'll make a list of the number of submitted gender so we could see where we're at.)

 **Nationality:** (Basically what country do they come from, also remember they can come from any country but do some research as well!)

 **Race:**

 **Sexual Orientation:** (Just like for gender, anything can go! Straight, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, etc can go here! But, if it's something that I might not know from it being not common, be sure to expand on explaining it a bit so I can be educated on it.)

 _* Health Problem(s): (Do they have a terminal illness? Bad eyesight and needs to wear glasses or contacts? Just any type of health issue in general)_

 **~ Appearance ~**

 **Height:** (In feet and inches)

 **Weight:** (In pounds)

 **Build:** (Are they average build? Muscular giant? Athletic toned with broad shoulders? That kind of things! The more descriptive the better…)

 **Eye Color:** (Try to stray away from heterochromia because there's only so many people that could actually inherit this and I'll probably accept only one character with this.)

 **Hair Color & Style:** (This includes length as well)

 **Skin Complexion:**

 _* Any physical scars or markings?: (This could be actual scars or loss of limb or tattoos or birthmarks, etc)_

 **Clothing:** (This would be the same clothes they wear throughout the whole story, so choose wisely! Plus, make sure it makes sense with their occupation!)

 _* Accessories:_

 **~ Personality ~**

 **Brief Description of Personality:** (This will appear in their profile as part of their partial introduction. Let's keep this around 3-4 sentences! Also don't put anything that could spoil their character arc!)

 **Extended Personality:** (This along with backstory definitely needs to be the most detailed on this application. I'm more likely to pick someone who writes this out in paragraph format versus listing adjectives. Remember, nobody is perfect!)

 **Likes:** (Minimum is 5 and maximum is 10)

 **Dislikes:** (Minimum is 5 and maximum is 10)

 **Fear(s):**

 _* Attitude & Perception: (How do they view the world in general? Are they optimistic that everything will get better or looks at the negative side of things?)_

 **Strengths:** (This is for physical and mental strengths that would work for their advantage in this type of situation. Let's do three to five things here.)

 **Weaknesses:** (This is for physical and mental weaknesses that would serve as a problem to them in this type of situation. Let's do three to five things here.)

 **Secret(s):**

 _* Habits/Quirks/Tendencies:_

 **^ Opinion on the Reserve Course Department (Applies to ONLY Main Course/Elementary Division Staff):** (Do they think anyone associated with the Reserve Course Department is plain and average? Maybe they unintentionally look down on them due to ignorance? Maybe they envy how simple their life may be?)

 **^ Attitude towards the Main Course/Elementary Division (Applies to ONLY Reserve Course Department Staff):** (Do they think anyone associated with the main course is stuck up and snobby? Perhaps they're jealous of not being in their place? Or maybe they're just glad they don't have to deal with the Ultimates? Etc...)

 **~ History ~**

 **Backstory:** (What happened in this character's life that led them to working for HPA and having their current personality? You can make a list of the highlights of their life or paragraph format, anything can go for how it's presented but just make sure it's detailed!)

 **How Did They Get Captured?:** (Basically, what was your character doing before they were kidnapped during the Reserve Course massacre? Did they get caught trying to escape the school grounds? Were they being heroic and tried to rescue the Ultimates? Maybe they just happened to have been at the wrong place at the wrong time? Etc…)

 **^ Student Life During HPA (This applies to ONLY Main Course/Elementary Division Staff):** (How was your character like during their HPA years as a student? Did their personality back then completely contradict their current ones?)

 **Family:** (Basically short descriptions of their family members that are important and current status)

 _* Friends: Basically short descriptions of their friends that are important and current status)_

 _* Relationship With Other Character: (Only answer this if you're submitting two characters that are interconnected before the killing game. Ex: Being married, relatives, best friends, ex, etc...)_

 **Current Relationship Status:** (Are they single, dating, married, divorced, etc…)

 **Interested in romance?:** (Yes or no answer here)

* If yes, what kind of people would they fall for?:

 **~ Danganronpa ~**

 **Reaction to Monokuma Hunter Game:**

 **Reaction to NG Codes/Forbidden Actions:**

 **Reaction to Discovery of Corpse:**

 **Reaction to Being Accused (While Innocent):**

 **Reaction to Being Accused (While Guilty):**

 **Type of people they would get along with:**

 **Type of people they wouldn't get along with:**

 **Method of Kill:** (How would your character kill if they did, given the situation escalating? Use their own fists? Would they use their surroundings? Using a NG Code to their advantage? Sacrifice themselves? Etc…)

 **NG Codes/Forbidden Action Suggestions:** (List at least three codes that other players should have!)

 **~ Voice ~**

 **Quotes:** (At least 5, can include their introduction and reactions)

 _* Agreement Quote: (Example quotes of them agreeing with something)_

 _* Disagreement Quote: (Example quotes of them highly disagreeing with something)_

 _* Give Up Quote: (Example quotes of them giving up on something whether it's dealing with a stubborn player or surrendering, etc...)_

 **Speech Pattern:** (Does your character have a certain accent while speaking? Extremely formal? Do they have a clean or a vulgar sailor mouth? Any stutters? Etc...)

 **Voice Tone:** (Do they have a seductive sultry voice? A gruff voice? A very high-pitch squeaky voice? Etc…)

 **~ Other ~**

* Other: (Is there anything else I should know about your character that hasn't been covered?)

* * *

 _ **(Last updated on 07/05/17 at 11:47 AM)**_

 **~ Submitted Ages ~**

 **21 x 1**

 **22 x 1**

 **23 x 3**

 **24 x 4**

 **25 x 2**

 **26 x 1**

 **28 x 1**

 **29 x 1**

 **31 X 1**

 **32 x 2**

 **34 x 1**

 **35 x 2**

 **39 x 1**

 **40 x 1**

* * *

 **~ Submitted Genders ~**

 **Female: 9**

 **Male: 12**

 **Non Binary: 1**

* * *

 **~ Submitted Nationalities ~**

 **Japanese x 9**

 **Portuguese** **x 1**

 **American x 5**

 **South Korean x 1**

 **British x 1**

 **Singaporean x 1**

 **Canadian x 2**

 **Australian** **x 1**

 **German x 1**

* * *

 **~ Submitted Talents ~**

Former SHSL Ice Climber

Former SHSL Psychologist

Former SHSL Programmer

Former SHSL Fear Inducer

Former SHSL Wigmaker

Former SHSL Neurologist

Former SHSL Agent

Former SHSL Wrestler

Former SHSL Songwriter

Former SHSL Rakugo Artist

Former SHSL Maid

Former SHSL Military Strategist

Former SHSL Headhunter

Former SHSL Bodyguard

Former SHSL Skater

Former SHSL Lucky Student

Former SHSL Cellist

Former SHSL Voice Actress

Former SHSL Tutor

Former SHSL Chemist

* * *

 **~ Submitted HPA Occupations: Main Course Staff ~**

Homeroom Teacher of the 76th Class (my OC)

Homeroom Teacher of the 74th Class

Homeroom Teacher of the 77th-A Class

Psychology Teacher

Scientist for Hope's Peak Academy x 1

Talent Scout x 2

Homeroom Teacher of Classroom 5-C

Security Guard x 2

Physical Education (P.E.) Teacher

Language Teacher

Chemistry Teacher

* * *

 **~ Submitted HPA Occupations: Elementary Division Staff ~**

Security Guard x 1

Music Teacher

Librarian

Homeroom Teacher of Class 5

School Cook

Homeroom Teacher of the Troublemaker Class (Zeroth Class)

* * *

 **~ Submitted HPA Occupations: Reserve Course Department Staff ~**

Guidance and Counseling Teacher

Homeroom Teacher for Class 2B

History Teacher


	2. Chapter Zero: Prologue II

**Chapter Zero** **:** Prologue II

A soft breeze engages a ripple to appear on the surface of the herbal beverage sitting on top of the stainless layer table. With the presence of a chill touching the exposing fair skin, the occupant promptly lowers their hand to a zipper dangling near the hem of umber coloring leather fabric. They proceed to gingerly tug the zipper upwards to enclose the jacket from the bottom to over the black silk hovering above their stomach. With a breath of light air emitting from the spring season plus the mixture of the aroma originated from freshly served coffee beans, sent a wave of ease to the occupant seated close to the furniture. A vibrant, yellow highlighter is embedding a place behind their ear with auburn colored locks covering the object from plain sight.

The sounds of shouting and vigorous yells echoing nearby pulls a lone figure back into reality. They turn their body towards the source of the ruckus and catches the scene of several students blandly dressed in the typical reserve course uniforms outside Hope's Peak Academy's gates. The girls wrinkling their white long-sleeved blouse and ribbon with the wind whooshing their short dark skirts. As for the guys, they're creating creases in their black suits. Some were angry enough to throw their black blazers onto the ground, dirtying the fabric. The protesting students felt that the main course has treated them as inferior as the dirt on their clothes.

All the brunette feels for the average students...is pity.

The girl feels a bit guilty that she couldn't find a way to relate to the reserve course kids even if she tried. She was fortunate enough to have been scouted for her superb pilot abilities but, "Are people really that desperate to have the school's name in their life that they were willing to pay expenses to be in the same area as talented people like herself?" The pilot mentally questions herself.

She tears her blue eyes away from the sight when a former classmate of hers, dressed in the signature security guard outfit, comes into view to aggressively disparate the rowdy crowd.

"Nice to know Juzo hasn't changed a bit. Once an asshole, always an asshole," mutters the brunette before taking another sip of her tea.

"Does that mean I'm always an asshole too?"

Turning her head to the source of light chuckling, the pilot meets the owner of familiar emerald colored eyes. She grins with a shrug. "Your words, not mine."

The visitor places a hand over their heart, feigning to be hurt. He lightly questions her, "And to think that the Air Force would've taught you some manners by now. Is that how you greet your amazing ex from Hope's Peak Academy?"

This causes the girl to stand up in order to throw a swift punch to his right bicep, effectively wrinkling the white fabric covering it. He goes to smooth out the wrinkle with the pilot mentioning, "Keep it up and I'll show you how the Air Force taught me how to kick your ass in three easy steps. But, you're an ex for a reason, Zenko-kun."

Zenko holds both hands up, palms facing the pilot in surrender as he glances downward to meet her eyes. "Actually I would like to see you try, I kinda miss our sparring sessions," he takes a seat across from her, laying the cup of coffee on top of the table surface and continues, "How many times do I have to tell you, Ayumi? I can take care of myself."

With a closer look at her former significant other, a certain accessory catches Ayumi's attention. "You…" Her hand instinctively reaches out to his neckline with green eyes watching her next move, silently giving her permission for the next step. Upon tracing the silk of the object with her fingertips, she softly asks, "You still have this?"

"Oh, you mean this old _thing_?" Zenko points at the black bow tie sitting on the center of his chest, its dark coloring contrasts the button-up, long sleeves' white fabric. Written across the material is a disarray arrangement of mathematical formulas in white ink that would be evident from an up close view. Only receiving an expectant look in response, he gingerly brings the girl's hand away from his chest to place it on top of the table, resting a hand on top of hers. Noting the lack of hand movement on her part, Zenko clears his throat to answer the previous question. "It still helps me get into math teacher mode with the students or at least show them that I actually enjoy teaching the subject."

At the end of his sentence, the pilot suddenly remembers the close proximity between them and retracts her hand, deciding to place both upon her lap. A small smile appears across her lips in remembrance of a fond memory. "I remember giving you this on your first day of teaching as a dorky good-luck charm. Who knew an Ice Climber would be such a huge math geek?" She chuckles, "God, you were such a nervous wreck that morning. Can you recall how many attempts did it take for us to properly clip it to your shirt because of your fidgeting?"

The educator raises both hands up in defense and retorts, "Hey, hey in my defense...I was teaching Main Course kids, you of all people should know how difficult that could be."

The pilot places a hand on her chest, feigning hurt. She roll her eyes at the comment and replies with a playful whine, "What are you implying?"

"I mean, if I were your teacher, I would be nervous to teach such a _perfect_ student."

Of course right when the answer leaves his mouth, this earns Zenko a swift punch to the shoulder following a quick rebuttal from the girl. "And so the quote, once an asshole, always an asshole still stands for a reason." Her blue eyes attempt to hold a glare at the shining emerald ones only for that stance to momentarily shatter upon witnessing her former boyfriend erupting into laughter. Ayumi shakes her head and decides to continue the small talk. "That's right, you and Yukizome-san are still teaching here. So, how's that going for you?"

"We…" The educator trails off, turning his head to view the protesting scene occurring outside the cafe they were currently sitting in. A sigh escapes his lips when he recognizes a handful of students participating in the rowdy uproar. The memories of his students speaking their complaints of unfair treatment from the academy still resonates in his mind. But at the same time, Zenko doesn't know what bothers him the most, the reasoning behind their duress or the fact that he personally can't ever truly relate to their struggles as an average person. The ambient cafe tunes weaving throughout the space and welcoming essence of coffee brewing is not enough to erase the stain of guilt.

"Half a year ago, Yukizome and I had to be transferred to the Reserve Course because our students were involved with a school incident. This week is officially our first week back to the Main Course as homeroom teachers again."

* * *

 **Hey guys! So here's the 100% completed version of this prologue! I hope you guys enjoyed it, especially since it revealed a peek of Ayumi's past (y'know the happy and lively version of her before she gets tossed into FCD's mess, whoops) along with dropping a couple of hints as to who Zenko is!**

 **So far we only have 14 submissions which makes the total being 15 when we need 16 characters in general, sooo submission is still very open and I'm removing the deadline! This story will start rolling once we have more of a variety of characters to choose from and we'll pick the cast from there! I hope everyone has a night day/night wherever you are and catch you guys on the next prologue!**


	3. Chapter Zero: Prologue III

**Chapter Zero** **: Prologue III**

Fingers lightly drum along the base of a sturdy object, breaking the atmosphere of humming silence. With their covered heels set on top of the corner of a dark and furnish desk, a figure lounges within the black, leather seat. Their arm is prop along the object's armrest as they stare longingly at the still telephone in front of them, waiting for a familiar ring. After an uneventful moment of silence passes, an irritable huff escapes the occupant's lips.

"For fuck sakes, how long does it take to capture those HPA products? You would think with such inflated egos they would become reckless quicker when endangered students are involved." The person speaks to no one in particular.

Their eyes catch the sight of two separate stacks sitting on the desk they currently reside at. Plucking the first enclosed manila folder from the right pile, nimble fingers open the object in order for its owner to begin scanning the contents. "I guess I could go over these staff files _again_."

A photo of a young man smiles back at the viewer, showcasing a discreet dimple on his right cheek as he sports a black bow tie with mathematical equations in white ink to contrast. It centers the light-blue, polo shirt underneath the accessory. He wears squared glasses as the black rim maintains congruent coloring to match with his hair color appearing in a loose, wavy comb-over on the right side of the face.

The more time the person spent as they stared at the picture, the more annoyed they became at the smiling contentment as it radiates from the colored pixels.

They immediately begin reading the information listed on the piece of paper attached to the photograph.

* * *

 _ **Zenko Sakimoto**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Homeroom Teacher of the 76th Class**

 **Work Location: The Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Ice Climber**

 **Age: 23**

 **Birthday: July 22nd**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 5' 10"**

 **Weight: 149 lbs**

 **Eye Color: Green**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Aside from his various expeditions along the Himalayas, Zenko Sakimoto is most notably known as the first and youngest Olympian in history to receive a gold medal in Ice Climbing during the Winter Olympics. Following his win, the reason for a sudden hiatus from the sport remains unknown as the former Olympian returns to Hope's Peak Academy to be an educator. Showing compassion, determination, and preservation is Zenko's method of achieving new heights throughout his life.**

* * *

"Sakimoto...ice climber...76th class...why does that sound so damn familiar?" Glancing over to the other stack that was left untouched, a connection pops back into their memory. Slapping the previously held folder onto the desk with haste, the figure mills through the twenty files with a gleeful expression. "No way, this has to be too good to be true! How did I not catch this the first time?"

A giggle erupts from their throat as the person grins, but there was something sinister masking their seemingly harmless smile.

"Well I'll be damned. Imagine the mass despair this imbecile will experience once he realizes his _sacrifice_ single-handedly sent his students and loved ones to their death sentences! It'll be glorious to witness this unfold on both sides of accidental betrayal by the one person they trusted."

* * *

 **That awkward moment when you thought you were saving your students when really you basically sent them to their potential death sentences, whoops...**

 **But hey guys! This quick little update is to show a little bit of the background connections between LOD and FCD considering that LOD is the prequel to FCD! Also the staff profile with Zenko is basically an example of what I plan on doing with the accepted characters as a bit of a preview of their character before the story starts rolling!**

 **So, if you've read FCD, then the character previews is basically the same as the e-Passport profile bits except this would happen as part of the final prologue. But, this isn't the** _ **only**_ **reason why for this quick update! My helper and I actually have a couple of announcements pertaining to character submissions!**

 **1.) Submissions are still open but please send in more guy characters! Also don't worry about rushing it, you have plenty of time considering there's no deadline! You can still send in girl characters but just know you're going to be held to a high expectation on those!**

 **2.) For HPA positions, we would like less Teacher submissions and more of the other jobs on campus! Here's a couple of examples to help you guys out if you're stuck: Electrician/Maintenance, Athletic Director, Nurse (We're actually looking for one! Brownie points if they happen to have a surgical specialty like Grey's Anatomy lol), Janitor/Custodian (Another we're looking for because that would be interesting), Guidance Counselor, Teacher's Aide, School Cook, Librarian, Computer Technician, Bus Driver, Band Director, etc…**

 **3.) PSA: If you're making a character that's LGBTQ+ or has a mental illness or disorder or deals with any type of trigger warning topic...Be respectful and actually put in research into what you're writing, because we can easily spot when someone tosses that in just to try to make the character sound edgy or different when really it's offensive. Basically, don't write a character just to have a stereotype define them.**

 **4.) As always, if you have any doubts or concerns about your application or if you would like our help in improving them, feel free to message CandiedStars or me! We'll be more than happy to help out!**

 **Anyways, I hope everyone has an amazing day/night wherever you are and catch you guys on the next prologue!**

* * *

 **Hey guys CandiedStars here! Just wanted to write a few quick words on characters submissions. First off, thank you so much to everyone who has submitted so far, we've gotten a lot of great characters. Aside from what was said already here's some things I feel should be touched on:**

 **1.) It's important to remember to be in depth with your application, the better detailed it is, the higher chance it has of getting submitted.**

 **2.) Please do try to keep your character original. I understand that cliches are cliches for a reason, same with tropes so they may be tempting to use but they also make your character more generic. We really like getting unique characters so keep that in mind!**

 **3.) Also please try to keep them different from the other submissions. I know since you can't see the other character forms this may be hard to do when it comes to things such as personality or appearance but we've gotten a lot of characters who have similar talents and occupations. This makes us less likely to pick the character as we want to have variation in who goes in the story.**

 **That's it from me, thank you so much to those who have submitted already, and to those of you who haven't I highly recommend doing so as this story is going to be really great. Have a good day/night and I'll see you next time!**


	4. Chapter Zero: Prologue IV

**Chapter Zero** **:** Prologue IV

"Sakimoto...Ice Climber...Seventy-sixth class...why does that sound so familiar?" Glancing over to the other stack that was left untouched, a connection pops back into their memory. Slapping the previously held folder onto the desk with haste, the figure mills through the twenty files with a gleeful expression. "No way, this has to be too good to be true! How did I not catch this the first time?"

A giggle erupts from their throat as the person grins, but there was something sinister masking their seemingly harmless smile.

"Well I'll be damned...Imagine the mass despair this imbecile will experience once he realizes his sacrifice single-handedly sent his students and loved ones to their death sentences! It'll be glorious to witness this unfold on both sides of accidental betrayal by the one person they trusted."

The corner of their eyes catch movement coming from the set of monitors sitting besides them. Placing the single file back onto the desk, the figure directs their attention to the ongoing surveillance footage. Their interest begins to peak as they witness people sluggishly move around on the screens, each person gradually awakening to their new surroundings. At the sight of one particular person, an amusing expression appears on the figure's features. "I see our friend has agreed to the deal, how predictable. Now let's see if they could pull through."

The figure watches their colleague look around the barren hallway, standing alone as they take a couple of steps in the right direction. Before they completely vanish from the monitor's view, the person stares directly into the camera's lens and provides a curt nod directing to the viewer. Once their ally makes their exit out of sight, the figure blinks and takes their eyes away from the screen. They turn in their seat and spot the third pile of files resting on the desk they're currently stationing in.

With a single hand, they then proceed to pick up the stack and analyze the following Hope's Peak Academy staff members...

* * *

 _ **Elenor Blue**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: History Teacher**

 **Work Location: Reserve Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: N/A**

 **Age: 35**

 **Birthday: February 15th**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 7"**

 **Weight: 145 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Dark Pink**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Elenor is a stickler for following schedule and can be a bit intense when it comes to interruptions but that's about it. She doesn't care about her appearance and doesn't care about what you have to say about her either! She's easy to get along with, mostly because she's predictable, so it's easy to figure out what to say to her.**

* * *

 _ **Yuzuki Chosuke**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Librarian**

 **Work Location: Hope's Peak Elementary Division**

 **Former SHSL Talent: Rakugo Artist**

 **Age: 21**

 **Birthday: March 20th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 5' 7"**

 **Weight: 134 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Golden Amber**

 **Hair Color: Navy Blue**

 **Other Notes: With a sophisticated and gentle nature, Yuzuki uses his comedic wit to bring audiences to their feet. For this reason, he not only made for an excellent rakugo artist but also a storyteller for talented children. Despite being talkative when performing, he can get bashful around peers and strangers when speaking directly.**

* * *

 _ **Hideyoshi Hayate**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Bus Driver / Substitute Teacher**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Motorist**

 **Age: 26**

 **Birthday: April 19th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 5' 10"**

 **Weight: 190 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Yellow**

 **Hair Color: Golden**

 **Other Notes: He jokes around alot and usually takes most things as a joke. He isn't a very serious person, but can become one when things go wrong. He is abnormally curious about everything, sometimes sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. He gets along with others, but they are usually victim to his mocking/teasing. He is most known for his sharp tongue and wit.**

* * *

 _ **Hinako Hoshizora**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Language Teacher**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Voice Actress**

 **Age: 24**

 **Birthday: March 5th**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 7"**

 **Weight: 130 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Dark Brown**

 **Hair Color: Muted Pink**

 **Other Notes: The former SHSL Voice Actress known for being the voice of the protagonist of a popular magical girl anime. She is often praised for her wide vocal range and for being able to voice characters in multiple languages. A few years after graduating Hope's Peak Academy, she returned to teach new generations of SHSL students.**

* * *

 _ **Shigure Ishimoto**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Homeroom Teacher for Class 2A**

 **Work Location: Reserve Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: N/A**

 **Age: 36**

 **Birthday: August 23rd**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 4"**

 **Weight: 139 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Green**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Being a calm and assertive person, though somewhat prejudistic, Shigure is not one to lose sight of her goals. While she can sometimes be somewhat unapproachable, she is a slightly timid person that can get a bit too trusting for her own good. She always seems to be thinking ahead of the situation.**

* * *

 _ **Yuna Kim**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: H.P.A. Scientist**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Neurologist**

 **Age: 32**

 **Birthday: March 18th**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 2"**

 **Weight: 110 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Grey**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Quick and to the point, Yuna is a quiet and intelligent person. Not the type to beat around the bush or sugar coat anything, she's a blunt person, always willing to say what's on her mind. Though people feel like she's hiding something or trying to make up for a past mistake.**

* * *

 _ **Iris Kingston**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Talent Scout**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Agent**

 **Age: 32**

 **Birthday: June 20th**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 7"**

 **Weight: 125 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Green**

 **Hair Color: Dark Red**

 **Other Notes: Charismatic and outgoing, Iris is a person whose demeanor screams confident and self assurance. Naturally optimistic and friendly, she has an easy time managing her clients and has worked with some of the the biggest stars in Japan and the United Kingdom. She's a new talent scout, hired on by Headmaster Kirigiri just this year.**

* * *

 _ **Enryumi Miyazaki**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Chemistry Teacher**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Chemist**

 **Age: 25**

 **Birthday: March 14th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 5' 5"**

 **Weight: 87 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Golden**

 **Hair Color: Raven & Aquamarine **

**Other Notes: A crazy scientist who appears as a creepy and skeptic guy. Often gives people, bad vibes. Finds great joy in mixing chemicals and blowing stuff up.**

* * *

 _ **Kukuru Ooguro**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Psychology Teacher**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Fear Inducer**

 **Age: 22**

 **Birthday: October 22nd**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 10"**

 **Weight: 161 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Red**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Kukuru Ooguro's personality is blunt and wooden, to say the least. Her style of speech is firm and she lets you know just what is on her mind. Despite this, she is quite caring and holds concern for the wellbeing of others.**

* * *

 _ **Yukio Sawai**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Part-Time School Cook**

 **Work Location: Elementary Division**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Cellist**

 **Age: 40**

 **Birthday: May 16th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 5' 8"**

 **Weight: 165 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Indigo**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Yukio is a warm-natured and fatherly man who has the capability of making even the most nervous person feel at ease, especially children. He has a long, deep-standing loyalty towards Hope's Peak, but also does not wish to cause conflict and just wants everyone to get along, though this doesn't mean he is a pushover or easy to manipulate. Yukio knows his mind and who he is, is happy with this, and this isn't about to change anytime soon.**

* * *

 _ **Sebastian Shepherd**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Security Guard**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Bodyguard**

 **Age: 24**

 **Birthday: June 27th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 6' 1"**

 **Weight: 198 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Grey**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Sebastian is a very calm person and almost never loses his head. He comes off as a emotionless individual that cares about very little. He is smart and can think on his feet in tough situations.**

* * *

 _ **Futaba Tamura**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Homeroom teacher for Class 2B**

 **Work Location: Reserve Course (formerly Main Course)**

 **Former SHSL Talent : Wigmaker**

 **Age: 39**

 **Birthday: April 14th**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 6"**

 **Weight: 149 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Medium Brown**

 **Hair Color: Deep Mahogany**

 **Other Notes: Seemingly a bit of a workaholic, Futaba is a dedicated and caring person who clearly takes teaching seriously. Though there is an air of melancholy to her, she tries to always keep smiling, and will always have a bag of chocolate mice ready to share with you if she thinks you need the cheering up. The gossip surrounding her wears her down, but after all life has thrown at her, she is not about to let that defeat her.**

* * *

 _ **Kevan Tan Wei Jie**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Talent Scout**

 **Work Location: Main Course**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Headhunter**

 **Age: 26**

 **Birthday: October 11th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 5' 4"**

 **Weight: 128 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Black**

 **Hair Color: Red**

 **Other Notes: A hero who is very keen on helping others and wished to bring peace to the world. Currently actively looking around for a sidekick to join him for his mission to bring down evil in the world.**

* * *

 _ **Ayane Wakabayashi**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Music Teacher**

 **Work Location: Hope's Peak Elementary Division**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Songwriter**

 **Age: 29**

 **Birthday: March 19th**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Height: 5' 6"**

 **Weight: 139 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Light Blue**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Other Notes: Ayane Wakabayashi is well loved by most of the elementary school kids she teaches and it's no wonder why. She's got a natural calming aura and a way of speaking that they just love. She wants to have a special bond with each and every child she teaches.**

* * *

 _ **Aleister Wolfgang**_

 **Hope's Peak Academy Occupation: Homeroom Teacher of the Troublemaker Class (Zeroth Class)**

 **Work Location: Hope's Peak Elementary Division**

 **Former SHSL Talent: SHSL Tutor**

 **Age: 28**

 **Birthday: February 29th**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Height: 6' 1"**

 **Weight: 159 lbs.**

 **Eye Color: Light Grey-Green**

 **Hair Color: Brown**

 **Other Notes: He is a relaxed and generally laid-back. He also comes across very cheerful and friendly, especially towards friends and his students.**

* * *

A sly grin of distortion spreads across their lips upon scanning the participants' information, one by one.

"My, my what an interesting batch we have here today. I suppose it's time to set the pian in motion as planned."

* * *

 **Hey guys! No I haven't forgotten this story, it's just that along with my other works, I went on a bit of an unintentional hiatus. But, I'm back with a couple of updates for everything which I'll be spreading out periodically! But anyways, sooo we have our finalized cast for Lessons of Despair! I would like to send my sincere thanks to everyone who had submitted a character for this story! As always, it was pretty difficult to narrow it down to 15 chosen ones out of 23! Every character was interesting, but unfortunately I can't accept them all, so I'm really sorry for those who didn't make it but just know that I appreciate the effort you guys went through to make them!**

 **Now onto a couple of quick questions:**

 **1.) For the intros, how would you guys like to divide the amount of character intros per update? I'm thinking of doing two updates with 8 characters each before the game starts and those two updates should be pretty lengthy, but I would like to know what you guys would prefer!**

 **2.) Based off these HPA Staff files, aside from your own, which character(s) are you looking forward to meeting the most?**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the final prologue update with the cast list and that everyone has a nice day/night wherever you are! Catch you guys in the next update AKA the first batch of character introductions!**

 **P.S: To the creators of the characters that have been accepted, lemme know if you would like to change anything about your character since it's been a while. Also, I might ask some of you a couple of questions regarding your character as well to get a clearer picture of them!**


End file.
